The 2024 NFL draft is fast approaching, and mock drafts are coming out left and right. It’s important to take these with a grain of salt, but they can be useful to see who could be joining the Saints. With that being said Field Yates of ESPN has the Saints taking Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu.
Fautanu played 1,005 snaps at left tackle this past season for Washington. In those snaps, he only allowed two sacks. Due to his size, some analysts feel he would be better suited as a guard in the next level, but his success at tackle warrants a look at both spots. He weighed in at 6-foot-3 and 317 pounds with 34 and 1/2-inch arms at the NFL Scouting Combine which is right at the threshold where teams separate tackles from guards.
Here’s why Yates said the Saints should take the Washington product:
“The Saints have been quiet in free agency and guard Andrus Peat is now a free agent. New Orleans restructured longtime right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s deal, and he said in December he was uncertain of his NFL future. Furthermore, the team has to make a decision about 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning, who has really struggled and might be due for a position switch to guard — or at the very least have to compete for a starting left tackle gig. Considering all of that, Fautanu’s value and versatility is too good to pass up. He was a college left tackle, and despite some talk of him projecting better inside at guard, I believe he has the goods to stay on the outside in the pros. No matter where he plays, he’s just a flatout baller and would make an immediate impact blocking for quarterback Derek Carr.”
Fans may find it boring to select an offensive lineman, but the Saints have glaring holes at the position. This past season, the Saints allowed an exuberant amount of pressure on quarterback Derek Carr. They also struggled to create room to run, and their rushing attack suffered because of it.
Drafting Fautanu would likely give them a plug-and-play starter on Day 1. Football starts with the trenches, and you shouldn’t be surprised if that’s the direction the Saints go.
